Narrator: Psalmdy Daniel A.
Lagos Fashion Week has secured the 2025 Earthshot Prize in the “Build a Waste-Free World” category, marking a historic win for African fashion on the global sustainable stage. The award was presented on November 5th, 2025, at the prestigious Earthshot Prize ceremony held at the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, an event hosted by Brazilian television personality Luciano Huck.
The price was awarded to Lagos Fashion Week (LFW) and it’s founder, Omoyemi Akerele, for their innovative efforts in circular fashion, waste reduction, and promotion of ethical, eco-friendly production across the African fashion ecosystem.
LFW, founded in Lagos in 2011, has grown into one of the continent’s, most influential platforms, championing sustainable fashion, long before it became a global priority.
The award comes with £1 million, which LFW plans to invest in building a circular fashion hub in Lagos- a center that will transform textile waste into re-useable materials, create jobs and expand sustainable product, production techniques across Nigeria and potentially other African cities.
The Earthshort price committee highlighted LFW’s strict sustainability standards, which require participating designers to use up-cycled or chemically sourced materials, apply low-waste cutting techniques and prioritize environmentally responsible dyeing and production methods.
Akerele dedicated award to the broader African creative community-designers, Astrid and and youth driving eco-innovation across the continent. The win also drew praise from Nigerian president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who recommended Akerele for demonstrating “ audacity of wisdom and purpose” and for elevating Nigeria on the global climate innovation map.
This achievement positions Lagos as a key player in the future of sustainable fashion, proving that African creativity, heriatage craftsmanship, and environmental responsibility can come together to shape a new global fashion narrative.
